Pedal-operated switch



May 27, 1930. G. A. BURGESS PEDAL OPERATED SWITCH Filed Nov. 29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //v vs/v TOR. 5:556? Z. Bunessa Patented May 27, 1930 GEORGE A. BURGESS,

FOUNDRY COMPANY, 035 NGREI-E 01-11 OF VTAUKEGAN IELLIltUiS,

"' GNQR T CHICAGO HARDWARE CORPORATION 91 ELLINOIS PEDAL-GPERATED SV'ITCH Application filed lt oveniber 539, 1827. Serial No. 236,490.

his invention relates to that type lavatory driers in which a fan wheel, electric heater, electric motor and motor controllinc' switch, are arranged in a closed housing more especially to means for eiiecting opening and closing movements of th wit h mechanism by a foot pedal associa c l the supporting means of the drier, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

To provide a structural for sociation of parts between a rapid opening and closing s i of the motor of the drier, ation of the same is attainc tin and efiiective manner, all as will hereinaiter more fully appear.

trating the general arrangement the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2, is a front elevation, with parts or the enclosing housing and other parts i tion in line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is an enlarged detail elevation of the switch mechanism in a position the reverse oi that shown in Fig. 1.

Like reference numerals indicate lil*e parts in the several views.

The lavatory drier for which the "resent improvement is more especially intended comprises an open bottom rectangular shell or casing 1, provided on its top with a hot air outlet or nozzle 2, preferably arranged in an oblique manner as shown in 1, and with its open bottom enclosing and secured to a base plate 3, upon which are mounted the hereinafter described air mover or blower, electric motor for the same and the switch mechanism controlling said motor.

The base plate 8, is in turn fixedly to the upper end of a hollow supporting floor standard or pedestal t, within which the here inafter described pedal actuating means or" the motor switch is housed and guided.

The shell or casing 5 of the air mover above referred to, is arranged centrally within the enclosing housing 1 of the a paratus with the electric motor 6 arranged at one e of said casing 5, and the controlling switch of said motor is arranged at the opposite of said casing; 5, as illustra ed in Fig As in my former application vtlerial No. 111 3058, fi ed June 7, 1326, a heating element 7, oi the electrical resistance type, is arranged in the outlet neck oi the shell or casing of .l

the air mover orblower with said outlet necl-I having communication with the atoresaic lot or nozzle 2 of the main housi: l.

the constr ction shown, the fan wheel 8 of the air mover is revolvably mounted in the casin 5, ard is of the twin section type havin take eyes in the respective side walls, and in connection therewith said sine walls 5 are t r ed with orifices 5 aligned with saic central intake eyes of the fan wheel 8. Closed inlet trunks 9 are associated with the side walls of the air mover casing and at their closed ends having comm":nication wi the aforesaid oriiieed 5" while their other and open end 10 passes down through the base plate 3, for communication with the outer atmosphere.

The controlling switch mechanism of the operating electric motor 6, is Q'i the snap or rapid opening and closing type, and preferably of a detail construction the same as set forth in the aforesaid application Serial. No. 114,058. In this, a fixed plate or bar 10 o insulating material is mounted at one side 0 the air mover,casing 5, and carries a pal of contact members 11 and 12, one of which connected to the supply line oi the operating electric circuit, while the other is connected to the return line of said circuit.

Pivotally associated with the fixed plate or bar 10, are a pair of companion bars 13, of insulating material, carrying individual contact members 14:, 15, one of. which is in the supply line and the other in return line of the operating electric circuit. Said contact carrying bars 13, have their pivotal point their mid-length, and at the ends opposite to their contact members 14:, 15 are operatively con nected to an actuating snap mechanism follows:

Journalled in the last mentioned ends of the bars 13, is an abutment block 16 against which a compression spring 17 has abutment, with said block" in addition afiording guiding means for a toggle rod or link 18 arranged within said spring. Said toggle rod at the end opposite to the end which is guided as above set forth, is provided with an abutment for an end of the spring 17 aforesaid, and is pivotally attached to a bracket block 19, fixedly secured to a bar or rod 20, that has reciprocation in a plane in right angle relation to the plane of the contact carrying members 10, 13 aforesaid, with said bar or rod 20 moving in a stationary guide frame 21, as shown. 1

At its lower end, the reciprocating bar or rod 20, carries a pair of fixed stops 22, preferably in. the form of adjustable nuts arranged on a screw thread formation of H: bar or rod 20, as shown, said stops being arranged in spaced relation, a divisional portion of the full throw of movement of the rod or bar 20.

A cross-head 23 having limited independent movement on the rod or bar 20 aforesaid, and between the stops 29. thereof, is fixedly connected to the upper end of a downwardly extending operating rod or link 24, the lower end of which is operatively connected to a pedal lever 25 pivoted in the lower portion of the hollow standard lof the apparatus, with the free end of said pedal lever projecting out through a wall of the standard 4 for convenient actuation by a foot of a person using the apparatus.

The operating rod or link 2% is normally maintained in its upper position by a spring 26 and in such position moves and maintains the contact members 11, 12 and 14-, 14: in step-- arated relation, through the intermediate connections above described.

The operation of the spring 17 and toggle link 18 connections between the reciprocating bar or rod 20 and the ends of the movable contact bars is the same in my aforesaid application Serial No. 114,058, to wit:

The movement of the toggle link 18 to a point slightly past a line drawn between its point of pivotal connection with the movable contact carrying bars 13 and the point of pivotal connection of said bars 13, with its companion stationary plate or bar 10, takes place without any movement between said movable and stationary contact carrying bars 10 and 13. On reaching the above mentioned point past the line extending between the lescribed pivots, the spring 17 which has been compressed during such initial movement, now acts to effect either a rapid separation of the contact points 11, 19. and 14, 15 or a rapid connection of said contact points, as the case may be in the series of operations of the apparatus.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A switch mechanism for electric lavatory driers of the herein described pedestal type,

comprising a controlling switch of the snap type, a reciprocating rod having operative relation to said switch, a toggle link pivotally connected at one end to said reciprocating rod, an abutment head journalled on the movable contact carrying member of the switch and having guiding connection with the other end of the aforesaid toggle link, a spring having an abutment at one end on the said toggle link and at the other end against the aforesaid abutment head, a depending rod, means for yieldingly moving said depending rod in one direction, a pedal lever having operative connection with the lower end of said depending rod, and a connecting means of the limited independent movement type intermediate of the aforesaid reciprocating rod and the said depending rod.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

GEORGE A. BURGESS. 

